News

HONG KONG, 25 January 2014— Ms Guo Jing-jing, the former representative of Chinese National Diving Team was appointed as Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK) Ambassador today in the presence of over 2,000 children. She is the first Olympic gold medalist named as UNICEF HK Ambassador, and has pledged to join UNICEF HK to advocate for children’s rights.

Upon being appointed, Ms Guo carried out her first mission of supporting little artists to draw Chinese New Year wish gifts for deprived children in China. All money raised in the event will go to UNICEF’s maternal and child health care work in remote and deprived areas in China, helping more children to grow healthily and reach their potential.

UNICEF has been appointing world renowned kind-hearted influential people and celeities as UNICEF Ambassadors since 1954, championing children’s rights worldwide and improving women’s and children’s lives in developing countries. UNICEF HK appointed Mr Leon Lai as the first UNICEF HK Ambassador in 1994. Ms Guo Jing-jing is the third athlete named as UNICEF HK Ambassador following the appointment of renowned cyclists Mr Wong Kam-po and Miss Sarah Lee Wai-sze. UNICEF HK held the ‘Little Artists Big Dreams Drawing Competition’ today as part of the fundraising event under the 21st China Children’s Week (CCW) and gained over 2,000 children’s support to the event. In the presence of these local little artists and Honourable Dr Ko Wing-man, Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Ms Guo received the appointment certificate from Ms Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK and officially became a UNICEF HK Ambassador.

Ms Guo promised to join UNICEF HK to advance children’s betterment by uniting citizens in China and Hong Kong to support and inging their attention to child-related issues and UNICEF’s work that improves children’s lives. She has been devoting herself to charitable work since her retirement in 2011.

“Going through pregnancy and childbirth, I can now understand not only the diverse needs of a child, but also how safe delivery, eastfeeding, nutrition, antenatal and postnatal checkups matter to mothers and children’s heath.” said Ms Guo as a new mother. “It is therefore very meaningful to come here today and support the little children who contribute to improving the maternal and child health care in China. It is also my pleasure to have their presence in my appointment ceremony. I hope to join UNICEF to give the best to our children in both Hong and China, especially the most disadvantaged. Looking forward to a better world for all children and babies by working towards the goal of ‘Zero Suffering’.”

Ms Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK said, “Ms Guo Jing-jing is a prominent diver. She had setbacks, but never gave up in her athletic life. Her indomitable spirit keeps her shining in international championships over the years, and this spirit is also enshrined in UNICEF’s life-saving and life-changing work everyday.” She added, “After her retirement, Ms Guo takes up a more important role as a full-time mum. She is determined to eastfeed and give the best to her child. She is a real practitioner of UNICEF’s mission, to ensure a ‘first call for children’. Her childhood life in China put her in a better position to understand the needs and situation of children in China. As a UNICEF HK Ambassador, she will help UNICEF further promote child welfare projects in remote areas in China, and advocate for better maternal and child health care both in Hong Kong and China.”

Ms Chen then officiated the ceremony of ‘China Children’s Week 2014 – Little Artists Big Dreams Drawing Competition’ together with Honourable Dr Ko Wing-man, Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Yao Wen-liang, Deputy Director General, Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and all guests.

Today, over 2,000 little artists aged under 12 joined the Competition at Central Lawn, Victoria Park to draw Chinese New Year wish gifts to deprived children in China and raised over HK$290,000 for CCW. The event’s major sponsors, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery and Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation presented a cheque of HK$2 million donation to UNICEF HK to continue their support to CCW and UNICEF’s work in China.

All donation in CCW this year will continue to support UNICEF’s ‘Cash Transfers for Deprived Children’ Project (the Project). High maternal mortality and under-five mortality are attributed to delivering babies at home in many poor families in the remote and deprived areas. Suspension of work and long travelling distance are considered as the major obstacles for accessing hospital or clinical delivery and relevant services, despite the free services. UNICEF has extended the Project to 15 provinces in Yunnan, Gansu and Sichuan. Pregnant women in the provinces can receive a cash subsidy as an incentive to get medical care for themselves and their babies, such as postnatal and antenatal checkup, giving birth in hospital and immunisation for infants.

It is the seventh year for holding ‘China Children’s Week 2014 – Little Artists Big Dreams Drawing Competition’. All participants are divided into three age groups, each with first, second and third prize, and 20 consolation prizes. The judging panel will select the winning pieces. Results will be announced on UNICEF HK website (www.unicef.org.hk) in late Feuary.

The ‘Little Artists Big Dreams Drawing Competition’ also marked the 21th anniversary of CCW. Since 1993, CCW accumulatively raised over HK$108 million to facilitate children’s welfare in China, including polio, maternal and neonatal tetanus eradication and support for children in poverty etc. Besides the Competition, during 11 to 26 January, UNICEF HK has organised “Red Packet Charity Sales” every weekend at different locations. Public can seize the last chance tomorrow to visit our public sales booths to purchase the red packets and join the cause.

Ms Guo Jing-jing, "The Princess of Diving", was born in Baoding, Hebei province. She is a renowned female diver from the People's Republic of China. Ms Guo took up diving when she was 6 years old. She started training in competitive diving in 1988, and was selected to join the Chinese national diving team in 1992. Guo first competed at the Olympics in 1996 when she was as young as 15 years old. In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Guo won the gold medals of both women’s 3m springboard and synchronised springboard. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she continued to win gold medals in the two events, leading her to be the most decorated Chinese female diver. She accumulated four gold medals in the Olympics which tied her with fellow Chinese athlete Fu Mingxia, Americans Pat McCormick and Greg Louganis with the most Olympics gold medals in diving.

Ms Guo announced her retirement in 2011. In her 22-year-long athlete career, she had participated in four Olympics and won four gold medals and two silver medals. Taking other international competitions into account, she earned 31 world championships for the Chinese national diving team. She is the Chinese athlete with the most world championships.

- END -